Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Detroit, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Rick Osentoski)

With Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers out until at least Thanksgiving with a broken collarbone, the winner of today's game between Detroit and Chicago will have the inside track to the NFC North title. Though all three teams go into today's action knotted atop the division standings at 5-3, the Packers will attempt to limp through the upcoming weeks with journeyman Seneca Wallace under center, opening the door for the Lions or Bears to break the logjam and take a stranglehold on the NFC North in the interim, writes ESPN.com's John Clayton:

On Sunday, a favorite in the division should emerge. Of the three, the Lions are the only team with a healthy starting quarterback, Matthew Stafford. The Lions travel to Chicago and could take the division lead with a victory over a motivated Cutler, who's coming back early from a groin injury. The Bears' problems are twofold. It will be hard for Cutler to match the throwing of Stafford, who is on pace for another 5,000-yard season. The second problem is containing wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who is coming off a 329-yard game against the Cowboys (Week 8) in which he beat triple coverage. The Bears have had defensive problems all season.

Coming off a groin injury, Cutler needs to start hot. After the stellar performance by Josh McCown last week, Bears fans will turn on Cutler quickly if he struggles. It's a difficult Detroit Lions defensive front for Cutler to face if he's not able to move well. He insists he's ready. He'll have to prove it to keep the boo birds at bay.

Home-field advantage is significant for the Bears in this rivalry as the Lions have not won in Chicago in five years. Despite their struggles in the Windy City, the Lions should still have the edge in intangibles going into this division showdown, writes Justin Rogers of MLive.com:

But the Bears are a wounded right now. At quarterback, it's difficult believing Cutler is 100 percent. But the bigger loss is [Lance] Briggs. The captain is the heart and soul of Chicago's defense and they've struggled without out him patrolling the middle of the field.

Rest could also play a factor. Chicago is coming off a short week after playing last Monday, while Detroit is fresh after a bye week.

"You used to be able to just put a safety over Calvin and he'd still make plays, but at least you weren't worried about the other guys," the scout said. "(Stafford's) not making the big mistakes like he used to. He's got all the arm talent in the world. He's still a little bit of a slinger - he's just grown up. (Bush) gives them a different dimension. I think they're probably run-blocking a little better. They've tightened up the secondary a little bit at safety, and that was always the issue. They've always been pretty strong up front, but you still could run on them because they're undisciplined. I think you have to go with Detroit. I don't think they're a great team, but they're healthy."

I don't believe in the Bears. You know who I believe in? The Lions of Detroit. I believe that their comeback victory against Dallas was the most important thing that's ever happened to Matt Stafford. I believe Calvin Johnson is the biggest non-QB game-changer in football. I believe we're headed for a December of "Ndamukong Suh is a DOMINANT defensive player" stories. I believe in any schedule that -- if they get by the Bears -- yields seven non-playoff teams.

Watch MLive.com's Kyle Meinke and Justin Rogers break down the matchup in more detail:

• ESPN.com's 13 panelists are split 7-6 in favor of a Lions victory over the Bears, while analyst Keyshawn Johnson alone likes the Chargers to upset the Broncos.

• Over at USAToday.com, four writers select Titans over Jaguars as their "Lock of the Week," while two others go with Colts over Rams.

• SI.com's Don Banks expects the Aaron Rodgers-less Packers to beat the Eagles 27-21 and the Giants to top the Raiders 27-17.

In this Sept. 30, 2013 file photo, Miami Dolphins guard Richie Incognito (68), center left, and and tackle Jonathan Martin (71), center right, sit on the bench in the second half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Bill Feig, File)

I don't blame Jonathan Martin for walking away from the Dolphins and checking himself into a hospital seeking treatment for emotional distress. The cesspool of insanity that apparently is the Miami locker room would test the mental stability of any sane man. Martin, the offspring of Harvard grads, a 24-year-old trained at some of America's finest academic institutions, is a first-time offender callously thrown into an Attica prison cell with Incognito and Aaron Hernandez's BFF Mike Pouncey. Dolphins warden Jeff Ireland and deputy warden Joe Philbin put zero sophisticated thought into what they were doing when they drafted Martin in the second round in 2012.

No, I haven't been hitting the Christmas Ale. With Jason Campbell at the helm, Jordan Cameron tearing up the league, Josh Gordon striking fear in defensive backs and the defense crushing quarterbacks, I think the Browns (4-5) are better than the Bengals (6-3), and Ravens (3-5) right now. The Browns have the best record in the AFC North at 2-1, with the Bengals at 1-1 and the Ravens 1-2. The Browns have already knocked off the Ravens and Bengals, and gave Cincinnati one of their toughest battles of the season.

"Whatever people suggest, it doesn't make a crap to me, because I know I'm a great coach," he said. "So whatever it is, it is. But I said in Dallas on my way out, hey, there's a couple better coaches than me that have been fired. Not many, but there's a couple. So that's just the way it is."

"One thing I say automatically, every time, is 'Too many hours.'" Burleson said. "It's one of the more stressful jobs I've seen out there. We're here a ton -- but then I go up and talk to a coach about anything, and I'm sitting in his office and I peek down under his desk and there's a pillow and a blanket.

"Now for a brief moment, I laugh, 'Holy smokes, this guy sleeps in his office.' But then when you really think about it, the guy sleeps in his office."